1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a display apparatus for eyeglasses and other eyewear or accessories that can be changed as the goods are sold so that the display appears to be well-stocked.
2. The State of the Art
There are various devices available for the retail display of (eye)glasses and related accessories such as cords, repair kits, and the like. These devices often include a case rotatably supported on a center post, where the case is comprised of, or accepts, panels on which eyeglasses (e.g., sunglasses) can be mounted for display.
One problem with such display cases at the retail level is that as more goods are sold the case tends to look less well-stocked. This is because such cases are typically shipped from the supplier fully stocked with glasses and the retailer does not have a separate inventory of glasses to refill the display case. A partially-filled (or partially-emptied) display does not have the aesthetic presentation of a full (or mostly filled) display.
One method for partially alleviating this problem is to provide a display that includes a separate inventory. Ascik, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,782, Surrette et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,092, and Brozak, Jr., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,090, all disclose a display case having hidden or stored stocked display panels, so the device essentially includes an inventory of stocked panels that can be used to replace the panels from which the glasses have already been sold. Another type of apparatus is disclosed by Ascik et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,703, in which the height of the display can be changed as goods are sold, thus giving the appearance that the display is always essentially full because the display area is changed. The disclosures of all of these patents are incorporated herein by reference.